Feminine divinity. India, XI-XII centuries.

Feminine divinity. India, XI-XII centuries.
Sandstone.
Provenance: Private collection; acquired between 1960-1961.
The surface has a homogeneous patina, with wear and small losses in accordance with its age, with no visible modern interventions.
Measurements: 52 cm. height.

Round sculpture representing a female divinity within the rich iconographic repertoire of medieval Indian art, probably linked to the Hindu sphere and the sculptural tradition of temples in northern or central India. The figure is presented in elegant contrapposto, with a marked flexion of the hip that accentuates the sensuality and dynamism characteristic of the sculpture of the period.

The anatomy responds to the aesthetic ideal of shilpa shastra, where the female body embodies principles of fertility, abundance and divine beauty. The nude torso, softly modeled, is combined with a rich ornamentation: multi-strand necklace, elaborate belt and skirt finely worked with incised motifs.

In one of her hands she holds a symbolic attribute, while the other rests naturally next to her body. The figure is accompanied by elements carved in the same block, which reinforce its narrative and devotional character, integrating itself into the original architectural composition, probably as part of a temple relief.

The treatment of the volume, the stylization of the proportions and the quality of the carving place the work within a moment of great sculptural splendor in medieval India, where art and spirituality merge in representations intended both for devotion and aesthetic exaltation.